Within the past year, an emerging trend has gathered significant momentum in the greater Christian community. More frequently, Christian leaders are emphasizing living to a Christian “worldview.” The concept of this worldview—and its application to Christian living—is particularly applicable to military Christians. While it is possibly one of the most basic tenets of the Christian faith, encouraging Christians to strengthen their worldview is viewed by many—Christian and not—as a radical suggestion.

The concept is simple: Christians are encouraged to understand that, just as their faith forms the basis of their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it should also guide their perceptions and interactions with the rest of the world. It should influence not only their spiritual life, but also their understanding of society, philosophy, and public policy. A Christian should not separate his faith from his public life; his faith should guide all aspects of his life. In addition, Christians should not only believe in accordance with their faith, but they should also act in accordance with it.

This is not a new concept; some of the Apostle Paul’s letters, written nearly 2,000 years ago, are veritable guides to Christian citizenship. Never once did he say “sequester yourselves, ignore society and the government, and let the world take care of itself.” On the contrary, Paul was perhaps the greatest example of one who did engage the culture. He is famous in modern times for his ability to meet his audience where they were and to speak to them in terms they could understand. Paul was knowledgeable about both Jesus and society; his religious education impressed even the religious elite, and his political insight led to his eventual transfer to Rome, which allowed him to evangelize even Caesar’s very household (Php 4:22).

Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project is one of the more prominent examples in the “Christian worldview” movement. Dr. Del Tackett, president of the Focus on the Family Institute, teaches a course in which he asks the question, “Do you really believe what you believe is really real?” The confounded question is simple in intent: do your actions and thoughts reflect what you say you believe? Surprisingly, many Christians unknowingly ascribe to secular ideas, whether it is the belief that man evolved from a “lower form,” or that the government should allow abortion (even if individuals are personally opposed to it). Tackett’s objective is to awaken Christians so that they see what they say they believe: “Did you know you believe this? Do you live like you do?”

In his lecture series, Dr. Tackett points out that many Christians have been “taken captive by the world.” That is, they unwittingly believe the “lies” that the world has told them, even though such lies are patently inconsistent with the Christian beliefs they may strongly hold. The end result is that Christians must return to the Bible to recapture the foundations of their faith—foundations that have been covered over, in some cases, by the more prevalent and popular ideas of the world. Varying between apologetics and practical living, The Truth Project encourages a Christian to see the world through a Christian worldview.

The Christian Worldview and the Military

There are two challenges for the military Christian: first, Christians need to re-learn the basics of their faith as it applies to their culture. Too often, Christians have depended on “talking heads” (in faith and culture) to tell them what they believe. They are often misled or do not understand the reason that they believe as they do, which makes Christians unable to live as God commanded. Instead, Christians need to re-learn the answers to their basic questions of faith, life, and culture. The American culture will continue to challenge the Christian faith. Whether poverty, abortion, evolution, euthanasia, universal health care, or merely basic citizenship, Christians must realize that there is an appropriate “faith-based” response—and it is not always the one they may think it is.

Second, Christians (military Christians, in particular) need to re-learn the basics of their culture. Just as Christians need to return to the foundations of their faith, they also need to return to the foundations of their country. Just as “talking heads” have misled or misinformed Christians in their faith, the same has occurred with respect to a the basic understanding of the American government. Christians should have a working knowledge of the documents, people, reasons, and actions that were responsible for the founding of the American nation—and their relationship with religion and Christianity. In addition, Christians should educate themselves in the salient amendments, laws, and Supreme Court decisions that have affected the status of religion in American society. Military Christians should also have an intimate understanding of the Department of Defense and service regulations that govern religious affairs in the military. These critical pieces of information are often the source of controversy in the modern American culture war. A Christian must understand why military Chaplains are Constitutional, why Jefferson used the phrase “separation of church and state,” and whether a military officer is free to express his religious beliefs. Again, it may not be the answer they think.

If military Christians don’t have these basic foundations in their faith, culture, and country, they will falter or retreat when challenged. They will assume that what the news reports or the internet says is true—instead of challenging it for the deception that it is. If military Christians really believe what they say they believe—by knowing and acting in accordance with their faith—then, as Dr. Tackett says, “we could turn the world upside-down.”

The Truth Project is a “grass roots” effort by Focus on the Family, so there are no “official” small group organizational sites. You can reference their homepage for information on upcoming seminars. For finding local studies, your best option may be phoning local churches or doing a local internet search.

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